Panel construction



' March 18, 1952 w. L. SHEPHEARD 2,589,633

PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 13. 1949 Attorney Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to metal buildings and, more particularly, to pro-fabrication units for constructing houses of sheet metal.

The primary object of the invention is to provide tongue and groove double panels of the type wherein the joints run vertically and wherein the panel is load-bearing. More particularly, it is intended to provide a panel of this type having top and bottom plates rigidly secured at the ends of the panel and having scalable openings therein to provide for free passage of treating liquids and paint during the manufacture of the panel, to allow circulation of air to and from the interior of the panel during drying, and to provide access for the insertion of service conduits and insulating material. Moreover, itis intended to provide end plates dished downwardly towards a center opening so that treating fluids and paints will readily drain off after dipping.

Another object is to provide a channel capplate for fitting downwardly over a series of vertical tongue-and-groove double panels, and to provide a series of openings in the channel registering with regularly spaced sealable openings in the panel end plates for allowing passage therethrough of service conduits.

Still another object is to provide, in combination with vertically-running tongue-and-groove panels, a metal trim channel fitting over either the tongue, groove, bottom, or top edge of the panel so that, in the instances of door or window openings, the abutting end of the trim pieces defining the openings can be welded together at the corners of the openings so as to form a rigid frame and pense with the need for lintels.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of the inner side of a wall embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the panels;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of a wall lowing the juncture of two panels, but with the channel cap-plate removed;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, oroken oii, showing the trim channel; and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, broken ofi, show ing the channel cap plate.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, the panel designated generally at 2 is formed of sheet metal. At the outset, a. sheet, preferably of steel,

is placed on a forming die and an upstanding ridge, which becomes tongue 4 is stamped along the center of the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is accurately bent at 6 in a brake, thus leaving shoulders I at the base of tongue 4 and bringing outer and inner sides 8 and I9 into approximate parallelism, the free edges of each side being crimped inwardly as at l2.

Panel 2, the form of which thus far described is generally old, is distinguished by the following structure including a side channel M having its free edges engaged beneath crimps i2, and top and bottom end pieces 18. Each end piece is formed with a tongue 20 having a cut-back shoulder 22 leaving a slight gap 24 between it and the inner side of shoulder '1. End pieces 58 further include front and rear flanges 26 and an end flange 28. In the cutting and fianging of the end pieces, metal is removed to leave a slight gap at 38, these operations all being to critical dimensions so as to predetermine the ultimate form and dimensions or" the panels as will be seen hereinafter. During their formings, end pieces 18 are punched to leave regularly spaced holes 32 and stamped dish-like to form a gutter 34. It should be understood that the gutters in both the top and bottom end pieces incline downwardly towards center hole 32.

In the assembly of the shell of panel 2, side channel I4 is first inserted so that its free edges lie beneath crimpings 12, then end pieces 58 are inserted, and the loosely fitted parts are placed in a jig, not shown. Then the jig is operated so as to force side channel l4 in the direction of the arrow for the lead-line It thus pressing the free edge of tongue 20 tightly against the inner surface of panel tongue 4. The critical width dimension from the exterior of panel tongue 4 to the exterior surface defining groove I6 is thus accurately determined. While the parts are still held tightly in the jig end pieces I8 are welded as at 35 to front and rear sides 8 and Ill, and to side channel I l. The shell thus formed is then dipped vertically in a surface-treating solution, then in a paint bath, drained and dried. It should be noted that gutters 34 ensure that the treating solution and paint will drain to center hole 32 and not stand deep on the surfaces of the end pieces, and that holes 32 allow free circulation of air to the interior of the shell during drymg.

If one of the panels 2 is to have a service connection such as electric switch 36, and conduit 33, these are next installed in the painted shell with conduit 38 leading out through one of the holes 32 in end I8. Next, the bottom end piece is sealed, and the painted shell is filled with insulation 40, preferably of the pellet type which can be blown or otherwise fed in through one of holes 32. Sealing of the panel is accomplished by cementing down a strip 42, which may be perforated to accommodate an out-leadin service conduit, and then the edges are calked with mastic as at 46. Sealing likewise is alternately accomplished by knock-in plugs inserted in holes 32.

In assembling a wall, panels 2 are set in a bottom channel 41 suitably secured to a foundation (not shown) and successively fitted in the manner apparent from Figs. 1 and 4. A channeled cap plate 48 is then fitted downwardly over a series of panels 2, these cap plates having a series of holes 50 regularly spaced along the top 52 to register over holes 32 in end pieces 18 so as to allow any service conduits, such as 38, to lead therethrough.- Cap plates 48 are then secured on by sheet metal screws 56 extending through slots 56 in flanges 53 and into holes 60 near the edges of panel 2. Obviously, a similar securing arrangement may be provided for holding the lower ends'of panels 2 in bottom channel 97.

Panels 2 thus formed have been found to have ample load-bearing strength for directly supporting the beams 62 of a conventional trussed roof support indicated generally at 64.

For window openings, a trim channel 58 it utilized. Lengths of trim channel 64 are beveled and welded as at 68 to form a frame fitting over the vertical tongue or groove edges of panels 2, and over the bottom and top edges of short panels 2A, 2B, thus framing the opening for a window 10 with suflicient structural strength so that lintels are unnecessary. Molding, not shown, may of course be applied to cover the top and bottom edges of the wall.

The invention detailed above is not limited to the specific form shown, but is intended to cover all variations, modifications, and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A double panel for metal buildings comprisin a shell of a single sheet of metal having a tongue along one longitudinal edge, a pair of spaced parallel sides extending laterally from said tongue and terminating in inwardly crimped edges along the other longitudinal side thereof, a U-flanged side channel strip having its free edges engaged beneath the inwardly crimped edges of said shell, and end pieces fixedly engaged within the ends of said shell, said end pieces each comprising an elongated strip of metal terminating in a tongue at one end, said tongue abutting the inner side of the tongue of said shell, flanges along each longitudinal edge of said strip and closely engaging the inner sides of said shell, and a flange at the other end of said strip engaging the inner side of the web of said U-fianged side strip.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, said end pieces each having at least one hole therethrough.

WILLIAM L. SHEPHEARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,761,037 Gross June 3, 1930 1,984,007 Babbitt Dec. 11, 1934 2,097,697 Marks Nov. 2, 1937 2,175,579 Stratton Oct. 10, 1939 2,205,730 Morgan June 25, 1940 2,260,178 Guignon, Jr Oct. 21, 1941 2,282,329 Johnson May 12, 1942 2,297,609 Clark et a1 Sept. 29, 1942 2,482,592 Miller et al Sept. 20, 1949 

